Thursday: Love Defined: The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Part 2
But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus,
(Luke 10:29, NKJV).And who is my neighbor?
An expert in the Jewish law, the lawyer must have known the answer to the question. Leviticus 19:18, where the second great commandment is spelled out, defines neighbors
as children of your people.
(NKJV). Hence, instead of providing an immediate answer to the lawyer’s question or getting into a theological dispute with him and those observing the episode, Jesus lifts the lawyer and His audience to a higher plane.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Read Luke 10:30-37. What are the key points to this story, and what do they reveal about how we are to treat others?
Notice that Jesus said that a certain man
(vs. 30) fell among thieves. Why did Jesus not identify the man’s race or status? Given the whole purpose of the story, why did it matter?
The priest and the Levite saw the wounded man but passed him by. Whatever their reasons for not helping, for us the questions are: what is true religion, and how should it be expressed? Deut. 10:12-13; Mic. 6:8; James 1:27.
Hatred and animosity marked the relationship between Jews and the Samaritans, and by the time of Jesus the enmity between the two had only worsened (Luke 9:51-54, John 4:9). Hence, by making a Samaritan the hero
of the story, Jesus brought home His point, in this case to the Jews, even stronger than it otherwise might have been.
Jesus described the Samaritan’s ministry in great detail: he took pity, he went to him, bandaged his wounds, poured oil and wine, carried him to an inn, paid an advance for his stay, and promised to care for any balance on his way back. All these parts of the Samaritan’s ministry together define the limitlessness of true love. The fact, too, that he did all these to a man who was, possibly, a Jew, reveals that true love knows no frontier.
The priest and the Levite asked themselves the question: What would happen to us if we stopped and helped this man? The Samaritan asked: What would happen to this man if I didn’t help him? What is the difference between the two?
(28)
True love goes far beyond our human feelings!! Jesus is giving us a good example, if we emulate Jesus the world will be a better place than it is to today.
This is very good to read n helpful for the beginning of the day i would like to read a bible verse everyday thank you n god be with you.
The difference between the two questions is one is self centred and the other is focused on the other person. They could be re-phrased:
How can I help myself or How can I help you.
What caught my attention about the parable this time? The Samaritan was going about his daily work - note the inn keeper trusted him to come back and pay the balance. So what does this mean for me? I don't have to go out looking for someone to help, if I open my heart the LORD will show me people in my daily life who need the kind of help I am able to provide.
I really love the image with this lesson, Jesus came to break down walls, not for our benefit, but so that we can reach out a helping hand!
It was the intent and purpose of Christ to teach man kind that it is the condition of our heart that will determine closeness to the Most High God ;not your religious preference.Be Blessed
May GOD provide us this true love without looking what we have or our status.Amen
True love is selfless. The Samaritan forgot about himself, what business he was about and stopped to help. The man could have been a Samantha which could be one of their reasons for passing by. Be that as it may the Samaritan was willing to do all he could to help this hapless man. The lesson for us is to do likewise. And this applies to anyone of any race kindred and tongue. There is also a subleter meaning. We are called to take the gospel to all nations. We will not be able to do this if we do not have compassion on those who are wounded in sin and need the healing message of the gospel.
Love is all about showing compassion and giving. Jesus Christ seeing the wounded man was moved with compassion and he gave all He had for His treatment. Compassion propels one to give. In other words, you can only give when you are moved with compassion. May God give us the grace to emulate Him. Amen
I think that the Levite was thinkibg
I think that the Levite was thinking about service to self - an attitude that God does not want us to have only while the Samaritan was thinking of service to others a true character of God.
Service to/for others shows that we are not selfish and that we have love for others and is doing what God would have done.
I believe that love is the underlying tenet of all that we believe as Christians. The story Jesus used to demonstrate this kind of love reminds us that there are no human barriers other than those man has created, that should prevent us from loving all. I need to remind my middle school students of this fact.
A law expert learning at the feet of Jesus!What of us today? Let us follow Christ's example and show compassion to those who need our help because by helping we behold Christ and in turn illuminate his light to humanity. The core of our teaching behooves us to love our neighbours as we do to ourselves.
The devotional this morning by Calvin B. Rock I found to be very inspiring and would like to share with my fellow bloggers.
"The fundamental objective of our fellowship is not to agree with each other, but to key on and agree with Jesus. We can agree with each other and still be very wrong. In fact, judging ourselves by ourselves, we guarantee ourselves failure.
So, it can be asked, with all the many differences of culture within our church and often even our local congregations, how practical is this ideal? Is it really doable? Yes, it is if we are willing to follow in present councils the methodology that guided the early believers in their theological summits. According to Acts 15, the Jerusalem meeting of church leaders did not attempt or expect sameness. What they did attempt and achieve was unity in diversity. For them, membership in the spiritual family did not mean relinquishing one's ethnic or cultural identify. They were unified in doctrine yet diversified in social orientation. And this is how we should be. Accord does not require homogenization of personalities or cultures. But it does demand the exercise of loving humility and long-suffering tolerance........
Wouldn't it be wonderful if such accord existed among our families, our institutions, our conferences, our churches, and our ethnic divisions in the church today? Then, the Spirit would come in His fullness and the spaceship Remnant Church would be jettisoned from its usual orbit by a surge of Holy Ghost power that would boost it to glory.
Then, instead of pulling against each other, we would be pulling others out of Babylon; instead of arguing over theological obscurities, we would be rallying around fundamental certainties; instead of disseminating gossip, we would be spreading the gospel; instead of debating about who is the greatest of all, we would be proclaiming the one who is the standard of greatness and fairest of all--Jesus Christ Our Lord."
The priest and the Levite asked themselves the question: What would happen to us if we stopped and helped this man? The Samaritan asked: What would happen to this man if I didn’t help him? What is the difference between the two?
In the two questions asked I see the two great motives for which we live revealed:
1. The former question is hinged on the motive of Selfishness
2. The latter question is hinged on the motive of - selflessness
Our greatest battle is against self. May we ever come to the foot of the Cross and daily experience victory over sin, self and satan. So help us God! Amen!
His love had no bounds! It is expected that the Priest and the Levite would have helped the man since they were the leaders of God's church but they didn't. The Samaritan is the unexpected. It was the Samaritan who's love had no bounds and this was a lesson for the lawyer who questioned "who is my neighbor" but also the Pharisees who standing in their midst who thought so highly of themselves and thought so lowly of a Samaritan. I pray that God helps me to see people through His eyes!
Thank God for the lesson today.
Love has no boundaries, it brings us
together as one family.
"The priest and the Levite asked themselves the question: What would happen to us if we stopped and helped this man? The Samaritan asked: What would happen to this man if I didn’t help him? What is the difference between the two?"
The difference is one was about self and all about Self And more SELF. the latter was about service and meeting the need of another in spite of the dangers that might be involved. Christ called us to love with out having any strings attached. My neighbor is anyone in needs at any given time. It is not those who are living in close proximity to me or those of my friends, family and acquaintance. Love in any Language!!!
have been looking forward to how to study the study guide today have learnt one or two things .I would be very greatful if I could be helped in understanding the Bible and knowing the truth
Samuel, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. (John 16:13) The Holy Spirit is willing and able to teach you the truth. All you have to do is ask. Before studying anything else, I suggest you pray for the Holy Spirit to teach you, then read the Bible passages plus surrounding texts. It is often good to read at least a chapter, so you understand the context.
The Holy Spirit will teach you personally. Don't depend on mere humans to teach you. However, this blog exists so we may share our understanding of what the Bible says and support and help each other in our studies. God intended that we support each other in community, and often the Holy Spirit does use others to help us understand. But we must still ask Him to help us discern what is truth.
The priest and the Levite asked themselves the question: What would happen to us if we stopped and helped this man?
1). They were bound by own rules and laws based on human philosophy which they held dearly. In most 2nd and 3rd worlds which are communal and have cultures with its norms, this story is more applicable as compared to 1st world or developed word who are individualistic in custom and philosophy, we tend not to die with the old man or nature as Paul stated thus we are biased in terms of Gender equity, pay et al.
2). Secondly, since we hold dearly these cultural and customary laws, views and ideology one must base his motives and actions to the demands of these prejudices demands from the tradition itself and those communal people so as not to offend them, so you cannot act or think in isolation from these watchful eyes in your community daily.
3). This is not a struggle with the members of the 1st world or Developed or Western world, for us it is a sacrifice and takes a lot of courage, but must be tactful in trying to faithful to Christ and to Love like Christ in our daily life.
The Samaritan asked: What would happen to this man if I didn’t help him? What is the difference between the two?
1). We should look into the cultural background of the Samaritan, first they are half cast or blooded maybe majority of mixed Jewish and surrounding heathens so there is no strict laws of Jewish nature or Traditions et al. So He is more freer and liberal and not bigoted like the Jews in discussion. He is more individualistic for he is not bound by any Jewish or Pharisaical bias and racial/gender bias.
2). He is more liberal to exercise his own freewill judgment and decisions, he does not have look over his shoulder before making his freewill love and care compared to the Jew and Pharisaical counterpart.
We must know when to act tactfully and sometimes we need to make radical decisions among our contemporary fellow communal members and later explain it in a friendly way as to the decision you have taken.
I am living in my wife's village, they respect my Sabbath and lifestyle but not by blind respect but by my way of mingling and interacting and co existing with them and I make sure that whatever is done in the village I do it to my best of ability with love, care and my best and that is how you gain their love and respect and acknowledge your lifestyle as Christ Like.
True love does not ask why?
True love does not ask when?
True love does not ask the benefit in return of doing good
I am humbled by the deeds of the good Samaritan in this parable, it teaches us true love for those around us, our neighbours and an unselfish act of compassion.if God so loved us and sent His only begotten Son to die for me and you, then who are we that we fail to love our neighbours!!I have noticed in my christian walk that it will be so difficult or rather impossible for us to love our neighbours when we fail to love each other as brethren in the church of God. I think my brothers and sisters we need true heart repetence if at al we are serious about being the daughters and sons of God waiting to inherit the kingdom of God!!!Apostle Paul says we are a perculiar nation, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood:but are we really showing the world this??or we have conformed to the standards of this world for we dont want to leave the 'old man' that we were before we met Christ !!!God help us!!!